Richard Nixon

Tomorrow is primary election day in the Ocean State. More than 700,000 of us are registered to vote. RIPR political analyst Scott MacKay worries that too many won’t show up. (This is Scott's essay that airs Monday on RIPR).

Election Day was once a grand pageant. It was both spectator and participant sport. In the words of Theodore White, the noted chronicler of mid-20th century American politics, decision day was a ``great stirring.’’

Nuala Pell, widow of revered Sen. Claiborne Pell, confidante of Pastores, Kennedys and European royalty, a force in Rhode Island politics for decades and a woman who was as at ease at a Democratic Party rally at a Portuguese Club as she was with the well-born swells of Newport society at Bailey’s Beach, died early this morning at Newport Hospital. She was 89.

The Pell family has announced a memorial service to be held Monday, April 21 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Newport, at 11 a.m.

Herb DeSimone was a respected Rhode Island Republican politician and lawyer. He died last week after a long and distinguished career in the law and politics, having served as RI Attorney General, in the federal government during Richard Nixon’s administration and twice was the GOP’s standard bearer for governor.